The Corporate Parenting Panel of Lincolnshire Council was scheduled to consider its work programme and receive an update on Life Story Work. The meeting was also scheduled to review annual reports from the Fostering Service, Adoption Service, and the Children in Care and Care Leavers Council, as well as the panel's own activity over the past year.

Corporate Parenting Panel Work Programme

The panel was scheduled to consider its work programme for the coming year, with the aim of ensuring that scrutiny activity was focused where it could be of greatest benefit. The work programme was to be reviewed at each meeting to ensure its continued relevance and value to the council and its partners. The report, prepared by Emily Wilcox, Senior Democratic Services Officer, invited the panel to note the proposed programme and highlight any additional activities for consideration. Future scheduled items included reports on Children in Care Performance, Private Fostering, and the Children in Care Joint Annual Health Report for January 2027, and reports on the Lincolnshire Leaving Care Service, Sufficiency Strategy, Lincolnshire Virtual School, Quality and Standards, and Reunification for February 2027.

Life Story Work

The panel was scheduled to learn about Life Story Work and see examples of how it helps children and young people understand their experiences. This session was planned to include direct input from Voices 4 Choices Ambassadors, offering members an opportunity for informal discussion with them. Life Story Work is a process that helps children in care to understand their past, present, and future, often through the creation of a book or scrapbook that documents their life journey. This is considered crucial for their sense of identity and well-being.

Fostering Service Annual Report and Statement of Purpose

The Fostering Service Annual Report for 2025/26 and the Statement of Purpose for 2026/27 were scheduled for consideration. The report was expected to highlight positive performance and continued investment in recruitment, marketing, and support to increase in-house fostering capacity. Discussions were scheduled to cover efforts to reduce reliance on independent fostering agencies and out-of-county placements, the role of marketing and community events in improving recruitment, and the support provided to kinship carers. The report was also expected to address the absence of an upper age limit for foster or kinship carers, the process for prospective carers, and the robust assessment and support planning for children reunifying with their families. The work undertaken following the Home Again research programme, including the establishment of a dedicated Reunification Team, was also scheduled to be discussed.

Adoption Service Annual Report and Statement of Purpose

The panel was scheduled to review the Adoption Service Annual Report for 2025/26 and the Statement of Purpose for 2026/27. The report was expected to note instances where foster carers had progressed to adoption, and the potential benefits of fostering-to-adoption arrangements for child stability. Discussions were scheduled to cover adopter recruitment, with a focus on under-represented groups such as Eastern European communities, and efforts to increase visibility and challenge misconceptions. The report was also expected to provide an update on complaints received, detailing how learning from these had been used to improve processes and communication. Arrangements relating to letterbox contact and staying-in-touch agreements were also scheduled to be discussed.

Annual Report of Corporate Parenting Panel Activity

The panel was scheduled to consider its own annual report for 2025/26. This report was expected to highlight the importance of evidencing the impact of children and young people's views on service development and decision-making, and plans to strengthen reporting in this area. The report was also anticipated to detail the significant progress made by the panel and the increasing involvement of children and young people in shaping its work, with thematic discussions increasingly influenced by their contributions. The growing participation of children and young people and the focus on providing feedback on actions taken in response to their concerns were also scheduled to be discussed.

2025-26 Annual Report: Lincolnshire Children in Care and Care Leavers Council - Voices for Choices (V4C)

The annual report of the Greater Lincolnshire Children in Care and Care Leavers Council, known as Voices for Choices (V4C), for 2025/26 was scheduled for review. Discussions were expected to focus on how future reports could better demonstrate the impact of the Corporate Parenting Panel's work through the inclusion of key performance measures and outcome data. The report was anticipated to highlight improvements driven by the views of children and young people, such as more accessible review letters and simplified language. The significant involvement of care-experienced young people in the development of the Leaving Care Service, including the design of the local offer and improved access to information, was also scheduled to be discussed. The success of the FAB Awards and plans to involve young people in the recruitment of foster carers through a young people's panel were also on the agenda.